Agenda item

To receive any petitions, comments and questions from the public including from businesses in Hitchin, Baldock and Letchworth.

The following presentations were provided for the Committee:

·       Hannah Vincenti- Fabio’s Gelato.

·       Andrew Figgis (on behalf of Punit Shah, Cook’s Boutique).

·       Martin Berry- Mick’s Barbers.

Audio Recording- 57 minutes 53 seconds

The Chair advised that there were 4 people in attendance (one substituted by Andrew Figgis) to give presentations this evening.

The Chair invited Hannah Vincenti, from Fabio’s Gelato, Hitchin and Letchworth Garden City to provide a presentation.

Hannah Vincenti thanked the Chair and gave a presentation, supported by slides, and advised the following:

·         Fabio’s Gelato opened their first Hitchin branch in 2015 and Letchworth in 2022, with a production site in Weston.

·         They were an independent husband and wife team who specialized in artisan gelato.

·         They had been supported by the Herts Growth Hub over the last year.

·         Most business activities revolved around supply, wholesale and ice cream cake orders.

·         In February 2022, a new branch in Hitchin opened using funding from loans, grants and the sales from the previous site. The reason for the move was outpricing from their previous landlord, and issues with storage.

·         Good weather was good for business. With increased abroad holiday costs more people were staying at home and treating themselves to ice cream.

·         Summer 2022 were the best for sales, however the increase in energy costs saw the business’ electricity bill quadruple. They were able to access government help for some of the costs.

·         In 2019, Fabio’s electricity costs were £13,915.00. In 2023, they had risen to £102,850.00 per year.

·         To try and decrease costs, the business turned off equipment where possible.

·         The business raised concerns for 2023, including financial support for businesses with locked in energy contracts.

·         Online banks were not allowing business overdrafts, which is also a concern.

·         There was a concern that consumers will turn to cheaper product alternatives that are of a lower quality. There was lots of competition.

·         Recruitment and staff retention is also a concern, with staff turnover being high.

·         A rise in staffing costs and an increase in the national minimum wage means the owners were not currently paying themselves a wage.

·         Hannah raised the issue of cost and duration of car parking in Hitchin town centre. She suggested free parking on quieter days to encourage shopping in town. They reported a lot of older consumers cannot get into town parking.

The Chair raised as a point of information that Biggin Lane car park was open to everyone on Tuesday and only closed on Saturdays.

Following a comment from Ms. Vincenti, the Chair agreed to look into the Biggin Lane Car Park signage. He also noted that there was a cheaper flat rate in Hitchin car parks after 3pm.

Ms. Vincenti commented that customers would rather go to out-of-town shopping facilities than town centres.

The Chair also advised that the Herts Growth Hub could advise with business loans for Fabio’s Gelato and other businesses.

The Chair thanked Hannah for her presentation and invited Tom Hardy, Hitchin BID, to provide a presentation.

Mr. Hardy thanked the Chair for the opportunity and gave a presentation and advised the following:

·         Retailers had performed better than expected over Christmas, although it had been a challenging year.

·         In upcoming year, it is expected that there will be less vacant business units.

·         Over the coming year, it was expected that there would be fewer vacant business units in Hitchin.

·          ‘Pay-On-Exit’ car parks in Hitchin could encourage more shoppers into the town and to stay for longer.

The Chair thanked Tom Hardy for his presentation and invited Andrew Figgis, on behalf of Punit Shah to provide a presentation.

Mr. Figgis advised that Mr. Shah had provided an email update to be read, which advised:

·         Mr. Shah ran Cook’s Boutique in Letchworth, which was a shop specializing in kitchenware goods.

·         The rising costs of living had meant customers had cut back on purchasing non-essential goods.

·         Even customers with a disposable income had chosen not to spend due to rising electrical bills.

·         Fewer customers would choose good quality products over cheaper, lower-quality alternatives.

·         Customer habits were changing, with less in store retail purchases. Most customers were opting for online purchases.

·         To combat this, stores should be trying to offer an attractive in-store experience to their customer.

·         The shop had launched Cookery Skills online workshops, which had been good for cash flow.

The Chair thanked Andrew Figgis for the presentation on behalf of Mr Shah and invited Mr. Martin Berry, from Mick’s Barbers, Baldock to provide a presentation.

Mr. Berry thanked the Chair for the opportunity, gave a presentation and advised the following:

·         Before the COVID pandemic, most customers came for a haircut every 4-6 weeks. Post-COVID, the length between haircuts had risen to 10-12 weeks.

·         Due to this, staff were making less money per week from their services as customers opted to wait longer for a haircut.

·         Over Christmas 2022, the Football World Cup in Qatar affected business, as some Christmas parties were cancelled to accommodate the broadcasting schedule. This meant that fewer customers came for haircuts and other services during what was normally a busy time of the year.

·         Customers were starting to prioritize their spending.

·         Pedestrianisation of town centres, notably Hertford, Old Hatfield and Baldock, had an impact on business.

·         In terms of energy costs for the business, they were low as most equipment was not powered or only needed to be turned on periodically.

·         Growth and development of youth workers was a challenge faced by the business. Most young people were not attracted to long-term training plans.

·         Hospitality and Retail sectors were also struggling with this, with mental wellbeing also playing a part in youth employment retention.

·         Mr. Berry wanted the local councils to provide more support for businesses like his.

·         He commented that the Herts Growth Hub online surveys did not factor in the aging population of the county.

The Chair thanked Mr. Berry for his presentation.